This past week wrapped up another sun-filled, beach vacation which has done wonders for me mentally! I’ve had the desire to blog more and have been paying extra close attention to the comments from my social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. The engagement is amazing there and I’m so intrigued by what you find interesting. For example, I posted this photograph of the family on the beach…nothing special, but it surprisingly received a huge response and thought-provoking questions such as,
“How do you achieve work/life balance?”
“How do you find time for yourself?”
These questions don’t have simple answers and I long to have a platform outside of Facebook and Instagram to address them. I’ve tried it here on the blog with the Motherlode Monday series, but then got discouraged by a few nasty emails and had several readers to unsubscribe from my site. It may sound silly, but that really stung.
To some my content was no longer relevant so they bailed.
I get it. But then again I don’t.
I’ve seen other bloggers expand their content to include fashion, beauty, travel, and even offer business advice to aspiring designers.
What did they do differently?
As the summer progresses, I hope to gain clarity or maybe I’ll take a leap of faith and follow my heart…stay tuned!
Thanks for allowing me to share my thoughts! As a reward (kidding) here are some pretty great links from the interwebs:
1. I’m seriously thinking about taking a day trip down to Birmingham, AL to tour the 2016 Southern Living Idea House!
“These rooms all reflect Southern style and show how old Southern decorating hallmarks can be reinvented” – Zoe Gowen, Senior Editor of Southern Living
2. It’s wedding season folks! If you’re a VIP guest and think someone will hand you a mic at the reception, then read these tips on How to Give the Perfect Wedding Speech. Rule #1 should be don’t drink too much. ::burp::
3. On Snapchat? While I’m still trying to figure it out you can watch these five interior designers who are doing it right!
4. I’ve recently learned about Birmingham-based interior designer and artist William McLure IV and cannot get enough of his thoughtful vignettes (like this one) and his strong sense of color! See a lovely pictorial tribute here!
5. Cozy Little House gives some excellent advice on home renovations with their recent post 7 Common Home Remodeling Mistakes Homeowners Make. Several of these apply to decorating projects too!
I’ve been learning a lot from your captions on Instagram – they’re engaging and sincere, and I’ve started writing longer photo descriptions and asking more questions (like you do), too!
Don’t worry about unsubcribers – most often they’re still following you in another way, whether it’s bloglovin, feedly, or instagram, and are really just trying to streamline their inbox. I follow 100+ blogs, but only 2 or 3 via email – the rest I read feedly, BUT that was only after I discovered feedly. Originally I followed them by email and then unsubscribed.
Nasty emails – I hit delete. I don’t engage. Also, remember that most people feel uncomfortable with change and then they come around. Introducing a new series can never be a bad thing, and creating space for more engagement sounds like a great idea.
PS – Thank you for linking to me!
These are all excellent points Sarah! I really appreciate and respect your insights. I’ve moved forward to starting a new series that is dedicated to enrich the lives of others. I hope you’ll enjoy it!
I am dying to see the Southern Living House, too – road trip to Alabama, Erika! We are big fans of your blog and have loved going back and reading old posts since discovering your beautiful site – happy weekend!!